Villa Eikenhorst

by Scott Mehl

Villa Eikenhorst

Villa Eikenhorst is currently the residence of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and their three daughters. It is located on the De Horsten estate in Wassenaar, about 10km from The Hague.

The house was originally built between 1985-1987 for Princess Christina (the youngest daughter of Queen Juliana) and her husband, Jorge Guillermo. The couple lived there with their children until divorcing in 1996. After sitting empty for some time, the property was renovated and became the residence of the then-Prince of Orange in 2003. It has been announced that at some point in the near future, the King and his family will move to Huis ten Bosch in The Hague.

While primarily a private residence, The King and Queen occasionally host foreign visitors there as well as other official events.

The De Horsten Estate comprises over 400 acres and is privately owned by the Royal Family. Its origins go back to 1838 and 1845 when Prince Frederik (a son of King Willem I) purchased three neighboring estates – Raephorst, Ter Horst, and Eikenhorst – to establish his own private hunting grounds. At his death, the property was inherited by his daughter Marie, Princess of Wied. In the early 1900s, she sold the property to Queen Wilhelmina, and it has since passed by inheritance to Queen Juliana and then to Queen Beatrix who is the current owner. Beatrix’s sister, Princess Margriet, holds the leasehold and building rights on the area which was originally the Raephorst estate.